City & Region news briefs

Group to pray, search for missing Erie teen

Community members will gather at the foot of Parade Street this morning to search for a 17-year-old boy who has been missing since Jan. 29.

A prayer will be held at 10 a.m. before participants fan out on Erie's lower east side to search for Jacob Samusenko, according to information on the Facebook page Help Find Jacob Samusenko. The search will be conducted between State Street and East Avenue, from East Eighth Street to the lake, and will continue until 5 p.m.

Samusenko, who lives in the 300 block of East Second Street, is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs about 130 pounds and has brown eyes. He was last seen wearing track pants.

A $10,000 reward has been offered for direct leads in the search, according to the Facebook page.

Erie police said they have done some canvassing and are following up on possible leads.

Anyone with information is asked to call Erie police Detective Sgt. Dominick DiLullo at 870-1156 or the Erie police officer in charge at 870-1120.

Man accused of beating in tavern restroom

An Erie man was charged with beating and threatening to kill another man at an eastside tavern in late January.

Charles S. Johnson, 31, is accused of hitting a man in the head with what the victim believed was a gun, stomping and kicking the victim as others held him down, and threatening to kill the victim in the men's room of a tavern in the 800 block of East Avenue on Jan. 30, according to a criminal complaint. Police said Johnson also hit the victim in the head and body with at least three pool cues.

Johnson, of the 600 block of East Eighth Street, was arraigned Friday by Erie 5th Ward District Judge Joseph Lefaiver on charges of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct. He remained in the Erie County Prison on $15,000 bond Monday.

Police charge man with shooting neighbor's dogs

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. -- New York State Police have charged a Chautauqua County man with animal cruelty, saying he shot two of his neighbor's dogs, killing one of them.

Dennis C. Teed, 44, is accused of tracking and shooting the dogs as they entered his property in French Creek, N.Y., on Saturday afternoon. Troopers said Teed admitted he shot them because they were trespassing on his land.

Teed is free on bail after he was arraigned on charges of felony criminal mischief, felony aggravated cruelty to animals and misdemeanor cruelty to animals.